Record 12 Schools Reach Platinum Level; Every Recognized School Earns Gold or Higher
Monterey Peninsula Unified School District is celebrating statewide recognition for its work building positive school culture, with 15 schools honored through the 2026 California PBIS Recognition Program. Twelve MPUSD schools earned Platinum, the program’s highest level and a new district record, while three schools earned Gold.
The results continue a multi-year upward trend for the district. MPUSD’s Platinum count has climbed steadily, from 10 schools in 2024 to 11 in 2025 and now 12 in 2026. This is also the first year that every MPUSD school recognized statewide landed at Gold or Platinum, with none scoring lower.
“Positive school culture is one of the cornerstones of MPUSD, and these recognitions demonstrate how deeply that commitment is embedded across our schools,” said Donnie Everett, MPUSD’s Assistant Superintendent of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. “To have 15 schools recognized, including a record 12 at the Platinum level and every recognized school at Gold or higher, speaks to the tremendous work of our educators, staff, students and families. PBIS helps us create environments where students feel connected, supported and ready to succeed.”
2026 PBIS Recognized Schools
Platinum
- Central Coast High School
- Del Rey Woods Elementary School
- Dual Language Academy of the Monterey Peninsula
- George C. Marshall Elementary School
- J.C. Crumpton Elementary School
- La Mesa School
- Los Arboles Middle School
- Marina Vista Elementary School
- Monte Vista TK-8
- Monterey High School
- Seaside High School
- Seaside Middle School
Gold
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School of the Arts
- Marina High School
- Ord Terrace Elementary School
A Pattern of Growth
This year’s honors build on several years of steady gains for MPUSD:
- Twelve schools earned Platinum this year, a district record for the third year in a row, up from 11 in 2025 and 10 in 2024.
- Seaside High School moved from Gold to Platinum, after climbing from Silver to Gold the year before.
- Marina Vista Elementary School jumped from Silver all the way to Platinum.
- Monte Vista TK-8 also advanced from Silver to Platinum.
- Fifteen schools earned recognition overall, up from 14 in each of the previous two years.
- All 15 recognized schools landed at Gold or Platinum, with no MPUSD school scoring below Gold this year.
“For more than a decade, PBIS has helped shape the culture of our schools and strengthen the way we support students academically, socially and emotionally,” said MPUSD Superintendent PK Diffenbaugh. “What is especially exciting is seeing this work continue to grow year after year. These results reflect the commitment of our entire school community and move us closer to our vision of becoming one of the finest school districts in the country.”
MPUSD’s honored schools are among 2,694 schools statewide recognized through the 2026 California PBIS Recognition Program for their implementation of PBIS and its impact on students, staff and school communities.
PBIS, or Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, is a nationally recognized, evidence-based framework for building safe, inclusive and supportive school environments. Rather than a set curriculum, it gives schools a multi-tiered structure for setting consistent expectations, reinforcing positive behavior, using data to guide decisions, and offering extra support based on individual student needs.
California PBIS has recognized schools since 2015 for their implementation of the framework and its impact on student outcomes, with awards given at the Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels.
Source: Monterey Peninsula Unified School District. For more information, contact Marci McFadden, MPUSD Chief of Communications and Engagement, at 831-706-6971.
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